Lung & Esophageal Disorders

ACMH has assembled a team of highly skilled surgeons, physicians and pulmonologists who work seamlessly to bring you innovative procedures and techniques for gastric, digestive and lung disorders. Cutting edge treatment technologies such as Navigational Bronchoscopy and the P.O.E.M. procedure offer gastrointestinal solutions that are minimally invasive and result in quicker recovery times.

Early detection is part of the overall plan for lung and esophageal health at ACMH. We offer Low Dose CT scanning and advanced imaging technology to diagnose earlier, and offer more intuitive treatment interventions.

For more information, call toll free: 844-316-LUNG (5864).

Low Dose CT Screening

Early detection is a proven, successful strategy for fighting many forms of cancer. ACMH offers screening with low dose computed tomography (CT) for people at high risk for lung cancer, the only recommended screening test for the disease.

Navigational Bronchoscopy & EBUS

During a bronchoscopy, a doctor passes a bronchoscope, a thin, flexible tube mounted with a small light and camera, through the nose or mouth of the patient and into the airways of the lungs. Using the light and the camera, the doctor can both see the airways and take pictures.

A navigational bronchoscopy uses a special bronchoscope to examine and treat lesions in areas of the lungs that are inaccessible using a regular bronchoscope. Navigational bronchoscopy combines electromagnetic navigation with real-time computed tomography (CT) images to create a three-dimensional map of the lungs. Doctors are then able to use this map to guide the navigational bronchoscope, which includes an extended working channel and guide wire, to difficult-to-access areas of the lungs to take a biopsy or help guide radiation therapy directly to a hard-to-reach lesion. At ACMH, navigational bronchoscopy is performed in an outpatient setting – most patients return home the same day as the procedure.

Endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) is a procedure that uses ultrasound technology in combination with bronchoscopy to visualize the walls of the airways and surrounding structures. EBUS allows doctors to locate hard-to-reach tumors and small cell lung cancer. EBUS can also be used to take a biopsy from tissue in the lungs or from the surrounding lymph nodes in the chest.

Reflux (also called Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, or GERD) is caused by a weak muscle in your esophagus called the Lower Esophageal Sphincter (LES) that allows acid and bile to flow back from the stomach into the esophagus, causing damage to the lining of the esophagus, throat and lungs.

The LINX Solution
LINX is easy to understand and love because it is simple. LINX is a small, flexible ring of magnets that opens to allow food and liquid down, then closes to prevent stomach contents from moving up. Simple as that.

The LINX procedure is the first non-medical surgical therapy to be approved for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) by the Food and Drug Administration in more than three decades. LINX uses a small, flexible band of magnets enclosed in titanium beads to regulate a weak lower esophageal sphincter (LES) and mimic a natural barrier to reflux. The bracelet is placed around the base of the esophagus. When food or liquid passes through, the band expands. The magnetic bond then allows the beads to close after swallowing, preventing gastric juices from refluxing back into the esophagus.

The LINX procedure is performed laparoscopically on an outpatient basis and typically takes 30 minutes to an hour to complete. Patients are placed under general anesthesia.

Most patients fully recover from the procedure in about a week and can resume their normal diet soon afterward. Side effects are generally minimal and resolve over time.

Fahim Habib, MD is a board-certified general surgeon with fellowship training in trauma, surgical critical care and esophageal and gastric surgery. He also has active interest in hernia surgery including abdominal wall reconstruction.

After earning his medical degree at Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Belgaum, India, Dr. Habib completed his general surgery residency and a fellowship in trauma, and surgical critical care at the University of Miami, Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, Florida. He also served on the faculty at the University of Miami for over eight years and also served as a co-director of the University of Miami Hernia Center. He gained expertise during his fellowships in esophageal and gastric surgery; trauma surgery; surgical critical care; advanced, minimally invasive, and robotic surgery.

Blair Jobe, MD is a nationally-renowned pioneer in the field of minimally invasive surgery and endoscopic therapy for the treatment of esophageal cancer, Barrett’s esophagus, esophageal mobility disorders and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). A prolific medical researcher and international lecturer, Dr. Jobe has served as the principal investigator for four NIH grants that focus on improving early detection of esophageal cancer, specifically on the development of serum and tissue biomarkers, a precursor to a blood test for the early detection and treatment of esophageal cancer.

In 2015, Dr. Jobe received Pittsburgh Business Times’ Health Care Heroes award in the Health Care Innovation – Individual category for his discovery of four protein biomarkers which resulted in highly accurate and inexpensive findings in determining whether or not cancer was present. In 2017, The Baltimore-based Esophageal Cancer Action Network (ECAN) appointed Dr. Jobe to its board of directors.